Dome-support for arching cisterns



(No Model.) I

W. H. H. DAVIS.

DOME SUPPORT FOR ARGHING OISTERNS. No. 425,124; Patented Apr. 8, 1890' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM H. H. DAVIS, OF OAKFIELD, MICHIGAN.

DOME-SUPPORT FOR ARCHING CISTERNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,124, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed October 3, 1887. Serial No. 251,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM II. II. DAVIS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakfield, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grouting-Forms and Dome- Supports for Cisterns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The nature of my invention consists in 0011- structing a dome-support for arching cisterns in such a manner that it. may be used for different diameters without material alterations, and so that the devices used in small cisterns may be used in larger ones by making slight alterations and additions to the same.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line m at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of hoop or cylinder B. Fig. at is a detail view of hoop c with handle attachments, and Fig. 5 is a detail View of dome-sections G I describe cylinder B and its mode of use for convenience, as I use the dome-support mostly in combination with this cylinder.

13 is an extensible and reducible cylinder, which I make about a foot in width, so constructed that when coiled foruse the ends lap past each other any desired length, and at the least far enough to allow two or more clips to be driven on the upper edge, as shown in Fig. 3, thus binding it into a continuous hoop. For larger cisterns I use one or more extensions B.

Within the hoop B are the rings a, used in raising the cylinder while grouting the side wall of the cistern.

The extensible cross-bars I I are each made in three pieces 11amely, two outer pieces I I and an intermediate extension I. The outer pieces are provided with iron plates N, bolted 011 the under side at each end of cross-bars I I. These plates have their outer ends beveled and bent slightly down to hold the crossbars more-securely to hoop B. The extension I is fastened to the under sides of the outer piecesII by means of bolts, that can be passed through any of a series of holes in said parts to allow the cross-bar I I to be adjusted to different lengths. I also makes a support for I, which is an additional side bar at right angles with I, and used in larger cisterns as an additional support for hoop D.

D is an extensible hoop, made adjustable, with lapping ends fastened with clips f or other suitable means and made of suitable material for the support of the inner ends of dome-sections C. D is similar to D, only smaller, and forms a support for the domesections 0.

C and O are domesections cut to conform to the under side of the arch and of suitable size to remove from the man-hole after the arch is built.

Ifind that No. 12 sheet-iron is the most convenient material for the dome-sections. These sections are made convex by swaging, which makes them much stronger and less liable to bend with the weight of the arch.

S is a continuous hoop-cylinder extensible and reducible, with lapping ends or edges fastened with clips for other suitable means, and forms a mold for the inside of the manhole of the cistern. 0 is similar to S and forms a mold for the outside of the man-hole. S and 0 may have attachments similar to rings a 011 hoop B or handles II on hoop c, as shown in Fig. 4., for the purpose of raising them up when I wish to raise the man-hole more than the heights of hoops S or o. By making hoop c on a larger scale it may be used as an extensible outside forming-cylinder in wells where the excavation requires a filling in back of the-cement. On arches less than nine feet in diameter I do not use the outer tier of dome-sections O, composed of segmental pieces; but in arches from six and ahalf to nine feet I use a collar 0 of two semicircular pieces of iron about fifteen inches in width, fastened into one continuous circle by means of clips f, as shown in Fig. 5. For large cisterns the semicircular pieces comprising the collar O when made of proper size, would be too unwieldy for convenient handling, and hence I employ this collar 0 only in smaller cisterns and use the domesection 0, composed of segmental pieces, in large cisterns.

f is a clip or staple to bind and fasten the lapping ends or edges of hoops or cylinders B I) l) S c and the dome-sections G E E are hangers, which hook over the crossbars I I and support the platform L.

I will now describe the operation of constructing a cistern by means of the devices here shown. The excavation is made circular with vertical sides. lylinder B is placed in position and the lapping ends fastened with clips 1. The concrete is now placed between this cylinder and the earth wall from two to four inches in thickness and packed down to its place. Before the mortar sets or hardens the cylinder may be raised about half its width by taking hold of the rings a and lifting a side a little at a time, packing down the mortar at the same time to prevent the cylinder from sliding back while its opposite side is being raised. The space is again filled and the operation repeated till the side walls are constructed. As the hoop B is raised I sprinkle the formed walls with dry cement and trowel it on, thus giving the inside of the cistern a smooth surface and quicken the pro cess of setting, as the dry cement absorbs part of the moisture. After the side wall is up I dig a groove in the earth wall above to allow the arch to set back as well as over the side wall. The bottom of the cistern is then dug out and cemented. Then the cross-bars are placed in position on top of cylinder B, the platform attached, the hoop D adjusted, and in large cisterns the first tier of domesections placed on. I cover the dome-sections with paper or cloth to prevent the cement adhering to the iron. The arch, usually composed of cobble-stone and cement, is now built over the dome-sections C, leaving the upper ends of C to support the lower ends of O. I then place blocks on the cross-bars high enough to raise D to its position. The domesections 0 are now laid on and the arch continued over them. The hoop S is coiled and set on the inner ends of the dome-sections and the arch built up to it. Then hoop c is put on top of the arch, leaving a space between the two man-hole hoops of three inches or more, which is filled with concrete, thus completing the arch.

In arching old cisterns where the side walls are made or plastered onto the earth wall I usually cut out enough of the old wall equal to the width of cylinder B, which is tilled with concrete, thus making a thicker stronger wall on which the arch may rest; but old cisterns may be arched by supporting the ends of the cross-bars in various ways and placing the outer ends of the dome-sections on the old side wall, thus building the arch directly on the old side wall of the cistern. The workman stands on platform I. while building the arch, and where the side wall is more than six feet high a platform or staging is used. The masonry of the cistern being completed, I let it set and harden till the next morning, when the dome-supports and hoops are removed. The clips are taken from hoops D and D and the blocking takentrom under them, and they are nneoiled and. passed up through the man-hole end first. The plat form, being in pieces, is easily removed; also, the cross-bars. Cylinder B, by removing the clips, is nneoiled and passed out the same as hoops l) 1). Two or three coats of cementwash are now applied with a brush, and a cistern that never needs repair is thus completed.

A contractible and expansible cylinder having lapping edges and means for binding the edges together, like several of the cylinders herein described, is described and claimed in my patent, No. 371,039, of October 4, 1887, and also a forming-cylinder built in sections, so that the sections can be taken apart; and the same cylinder, in combination with domesup ports and a supporting-framc, is also therein described and claimed; but

\Vhat I herein claim is- 1. An extensible and reducible forming-cylinder, in combination with one or more extension parts, such as B, and fastenings for binding the said cylinder and extension together, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a dome section adapted to conform to the under side of the arch, extensible and adjustable hoops having lapping ends and fastenings to form a support for said dome-sections, a support for said hoops composed of cross-bars I and extensions I, a platform, hangers to connect said platform and cross-bars, and a cylinder 011 which said cross-bars are placed, substantially as described.

3. The iron dome-supporting sections provided with paper or cloth to prevent the cement from adhering to the said sections, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the outer upper extensible and reducible forming-cylinder and the inner upper extensible and reducible cylinder, the domesections, the larger and smaller hoops for supporting said sections, the cross-bars, and a forming-cylinder on which the cross-bars are supported, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the dome-sections, the supporting larger and smaller hoops, a frame for supporting said hoops, the upper inner forming-cylimler, and the upper outer cylinder, substantially as and forthc purpose described.

(5. The upper outer extensible and reducible cylinder 0, in combination with the upper innerextensible and reducible cylinder S and the overlapping dome-sections for the purpose of forming the man-hole, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the overlapping domescctions, of the supporting-hoops I) D, substantially as described.

8. The combination. of; the overlapping dome-sections, the supporting-hoops l.) l), and the crossbars I, substantially as described.

9. In combination, the cross-bars I, the 1100p IIC) D, and the overlapping dome-sections C C, substantially as and for the purpose described. 10. The combination of dome-sections C O, the one overlapping the other, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the overlapping dome-sections O G, a supportingframe, and.

a continuous extensible and reducible forming-cylinder on which said frame rests, substantially as described.

12. The extensible cross-bars II, provided with the plates N, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with the dome-sections, of the hoops D D, a supporting framework, and a supporting forming-cylinder on which said frame-work rests, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the cross-bar frame-work, of the dome-sections, the inner, upper, and outer cylinders, and lower formingcylinder, the said cylinders provided with handles by which to raise them, substantially as described.

15. In combination with the extensible cross bars I I, the continuous extensible and reducible forming-cylinder on which said crossbars rest, the platform L within the said cylinder, and hangers connecting the said crossbars and platform, substantially as described.

16. The combination of the overlapping semicircular dome-sections, the extensible, reducible, and continuous hoop-cylinder, and

the extensible cross-bars, substantially asdescribed.

17. The combination, in an adjustable grouting-form for wells or cisterns, of the platform L, the extensible cross-bars I I, the hangers E, and the continuous, extensible, and reducible forming-cylinder B, on which said crossbars rest, substantially as described.

18. The combination. of the overlapping dome-sections, the supporting-hoops D D, and the upper, inner, and outer forming-cylinders, substantially as described.

19. The combination, with the overlapping dome-sections and the upper, inner, and outer extensible and reducible formingcylinders, of the supporting-hoops D D, the extensible cross-bars I, and the continuous, extensible, and reducible forming-cylinder B, substantially as described.

20. An extensible and reducible dome-sup port capable of use at different diameters, in combination With an extensible and reducible sidewall-forming cylinder or loop B, capable of use at different diameters, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. H. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

L. V.MOULTON, SARAH A. MOULTON. 

